Clamp overall adaptably combined with a writing platform



Jan. 28, 1969 CLAMP OVERALL ADAPT 'r. P. ODONNELL 3,423,793 ABLY COMBINED WITH A WRITING PLATFORM Filed July 19, 1965 INVE I VTORf v 72 007451? Ubawel/ United States Patent 17 Claims Int. Cl. B42f 1/02; B431 /02 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clamping device securable to an edge of a shelf in a telephone booth to securely retain papers supported by the shelf. A generally C-shaped clamp actuating spring is securable directly to the shelf so that a rear inside portion thereof provides a stop means to limit insertion of papers into the clamp.

Summary In an article of manufacture, this invention relates to a new, novel and useful improvement in a clamp means comprising a generally C-shaped clamp actuating spring and a finger engageable handle portion, modifications of which comprising knuckle elements and a finger engageable handle portion are shown, each said clamp means also adaptable for securing it with an adapted portion of a paper supporting surface of a writing platform, such as a shelf in a telephone booth, and a desk top portion, and a table top portion, and a shelf in a commercial environ ment so that overall they can be used together, as a said handle portion thereof is used at least for lowerably raising a paper clamping front end portion from said writing platform simultaneously forming an opening between them and leading thereinto into which a sheet of paper or a stack thereof can be removably inserted to an extent limited when an edge thereof therein engages a said stop means at an inside rear portion thereof, and as said opening is openably closed and a portion of it or them is releasably clamped in between them, it or they are fixed in position on said paper supporting surface so that an unclamped portion thereof extends therefrom along said paper supporting surface for writing thereon and for reading writing thereon.

A said writing platform being portionally adaptable for being secured with a means for supporting it in a fixed useable position a distance above a floor and the like, and comprising at least a top surface comprising a smoothness suitable for being a background for removably placing a sheet of paper thereon for writing thereon.

A purpose of this invention is to provide improved means for clampingly supporting a sheet of paper or a stack thereof on the horizontally disposed supporting surface of a said writing platform particularly referring to a shelf in a telephone booth.

A further purpose is to provide a stop means associated with and formed as an inside part of a clamp device for limiting the extent to which papers may be inserted into a clamp to prevent damage to the edges of the papers therein.

A further purpose is to provide a paper clamp having a finger engageable portion which extends upwardly therefrom and adds suflicient weight to the clamp to cause it to close by the pull of gravity.

Further purposes will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains.

Overall in perspective views:

FIGURE 1 shows an interior of a telephone booth operationally embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 shows a fragment of an unseen rear portion 3,423,798 Patented Jan. 28, 1969 of a shelf shown in FIGURE 1 and a clamping device assemblably exploded away therefrom.

FIGURE 3 shows an assembled operative relationship thereof.

FIGURE 4 shows a modification of a paper clamping device.

FIGURE 5 shows a further modification thereof.

FIGURE 6 shows the paper clamping device of FIGS. 1, 2, 3 secured to a table top writing platform.

FIGURE 7 shows a face view of unassembled parts of said clamping device shown in FIGURE 4.

Description As shown in FIGURE 1, a booth 50 represented by walls 8 comprises a flat shelf paper supporting surface 1 secured and useably positioned therein a desired distance above a floor 60 and useable for supporting papers 51 thereon near telephone 4. The said shelf 1 comprises a hereinafter described hinge knuckle element 5 unseenly hingedly attached but being shown FIG. 2, and it is adapted with edge flanges 1a having screwholes 9:: formed therethrough for screwing screw means 9 therethrough and into same formed into adapted wall means 8, an example of which is shown. And a said clamping device 2 comprises a fiat shape, and a hinge knuckle element 6 unseenly hingedly attached but being shown in FIGURE 3, with a complementary said hinge knuckle element 5 formed from above said shelf surface 1 so that said clamping device 2 normally lays fiat on top of a portion of said shelf surface 1 for being hingedly lowerably raised therefrom for removably inserting a portion of a sheet of paper 51 between them and raiseably lowering said flat clamping device 2 for releaseably clamping said portion of a sheet of paper 51 therein so that other portions thereof lay on top of said shelf 1 for a said purpose.

FIGURE 2 shows a fragment of .an unseen rear of said flat shelf surface 1 shown in FIGURE 1, and that an edge thereof comprises an overall circularly shaped hinge knuckle element 5 having an opening 5a formed therethrough which substantially lies in the plane of said shelf 1. And assemblably exploded away therefrom is an unseen rear portion of said flat clamping device 2 shown in FIGURE 1 having a hinge knuckle element 6 having an opening 6a formed therethrough which substantially lies in the plane of said fiat clamping plate 2, and which is suitably hingewisely aligned and assembled and hingedly attached with said shelf 1 for laying flat thereon-and as shown in FIGURE 3, by inserting a circularly shaped pintle overall shown at 7 through aligned openings 5a and unseen 6a for laying said flat clamping device 2 flat on top of said shelf 1. And said clamping flat device 2 comprises a finger engageable element 3 formed therefrom comprising a rectangular shape comprising a curved inward portion engageable by a finger for facilitating lifting it for removably inserting and clamping a portion of a sheet of paper 51 between them to an extent limited when an edge of a said sheet of paper 51 therein engages an inside portion of said assembled hinge knuckle ele ments 5 and 6 therein which comprises a paper engageable stop means which is shown in FIGURE 1 also but note aforedescribed.

FIGURE 6 shows an article meant to be either a table or a desk or a shelf comprising a said paper supporting surface writing platform top portion 40 comprising a portion being adapted and used for securing it with a leg means 41 for supporting it a distance above a floor 60 in a useable fixed position by using dowel means 46 constructed from each leg 41 and attached into an opening 45 formed for it into a bottom portion of said top portion 40. The said table etc. is further provided with drawers 42 having pulls 44. A broken line portion 49 of said top portion 40 comprises an overall arrangement being the same as that shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3, for comprising an overall said clamping flat device 2 hingedly attached therewith by using pintle means interconnected with knuckles 5 and 6 for laying flat thereon, and a numeral 91 lined to a front of said knuckles 5 and 6 between them for being a said paper engaging stop means therein for a said overall using thereof for a said purpose.

FIGURE 7 shows an arm member 17 and a spring member 11, each comprising a panel thickness comprising each of its two opposite identical sides, and each overall portionally planned in its size relative to the other for being assembled together into a generally C-shaped clamp actuating spring, shown used in FIGURE 4. Said arm member 17 comprising a front end portion 17b comprising a selected in size paper clamping front edge 18 comprising each of two opposite side corners thereof and overall forming rearwardly and narrowing symmetrically along each of its said two opposite identical sides so that eventually there is a disposed narrower sized center area portion 81 which overall forms rearwardly and narrowing symmetrically along each of its sides so that eventually there is a finger engageable element 17a at its rear opposite end narrowest sized portion preferably comprising an arcuate shape along an extreme edge 19 thereof and a bottom side to side portion 85 sized slightly smaller than a side to side size of a hereinafter described slit like opening 13 formed for it through said spring member 11. And said spring member 11 comprising an overall selected in size bendably straight outline which can be either rectangularly or squarely shaped comprising a flattened end portion 12 comprising a size approximately the same as a side to side size at a rear 84 of said front end portion 17b of said arm member 17 (which is shown in broken lines). Said flattened end portion 12 overall forms into a center area portion 82 comprising a centrally located said slit like opening 13 formed therethrough parallel with said flattened end portion 12 and said center area portion 82 forms into an opposite end portion 14. Said spring member 11 is bent as said into a generally C-shape over its said flattened end portion 12 so that its said opposite end 14 locates opposite to and above the free edge thereof, thereby positioning its said opening 13, as can be seen in FIGURE 4, for overall angularly positioning arm member and penetrating of said finger engageable element 17a rear opposite end narrowest sized portion therethrough until its said bottom side to side portion 85 sets therein for being overall welded together by using means 15 for doing this, as simultaneously, said narrower sized center area portion 81 being larger than opening 13 stops its said penetrating thereof, and also simultaneously said opposite end portion 14 of said spring member 11 sets on top of a rear 84 of said front end portion 17b for being welded together thereat, thereby lifetimely overall biasing said paper clamping edge 18 angularly downwards substantially on a level line with said flattened end portion 12. And now viewing said FIGURE 4, said flattened end portion 12 of spring member 11 is useably adapted for being secured to a portion of a paper supporting surface by using a means for forming an attachment 16 for overall appearing as shown sidewardly in FIGURE 4, so that a first paper engageable stop means 91 is formed by an edge of said flattened end portion 12 standing upright from said supporting surface 10 therein, and a second paper engageable stop means 91 is formed by an inside of said generally C-shaped portion 82 above said flattened end portion 12 therein, and so that said paper clamping front edge 18 lays biased against a top of or adjacent to a top of a portion of said supporting surface 10 reached by it, whichever is planned, so that as a finger raiseably lowers said rear opposite end finger engageable element 17a the overall said generally C-shaped portion 82 of said spring member 11 lowerably raises simultaneously lowerably raising said biased downwards paper clamping front edge 18 of arm member 17 from said supporting surface 10 for forming a closeable opening between them for removably inserting one to a plurality of sheets of paper therein to an extent limited by either a said first, or a second, or both of said paper engageable stop means 91 therein, so that said paper clamping front edge 18 releasably clamps a portion thereof therein as an unclamped portion extends therefrom along said supporting surface 10 for a said purpose. Said arm member 17 and spring member 11 comprising a panel like thickness and being made from a suitable material, in a first instance, for comprising a resilient rigidness, and in a second instance, said spring member can be made for comprising a said resilient rigidness and its arm member can be made from a material for comprising a rigidness only. I

FIGURE 5 shows a paper supporting surface 20 comprising openings 22 formed through portions thereof exampled at 22, and rivets 23 used therewith and with same formed through plate 21 for securing it on top thereof and preferably along an edge thereof, in an overall planning. Said plate 21 also comprising a rear element upright wall portion 24 comprising a front being used as a paper engageable stop means, and a top edge itself comprising a portion located adjacent to each of its sides and at a center area thereof each separated from the other by a fillable empty space at each side thereof which forms into a knuckle element 25a having an opening there through which overall lie in an aligned relationship to each other in a plane upwardly and rearwardly from said top edge. And a plate 28 comprising a generally C-shape comprising a paper clamping front end portion 31 and a rear portion itself comprising a finger engageable element 27 forming upwardly away from a center area thereof for lying in a plane thereof adjacent to a portion at each side thereof from which in overall aligned relationship to each other forms a knuckle element 28b having an opening therethrough and between which there is a fillable empty space. Said plate 28 is laid on top of said plate 21 so that said knuckle elements 28b and their openings at each side thereof as overall said, fit into and fill empty spaces at an outside of said side knuckle elements 25a and their openings are overall aligned therewith and with a coil spring 29 having an opening therethrough formed by its coils fitted into for filling an empty space at an inside of said instant knuckle elements 25a so that simultaneously they are located at each side of said center area knuckle element 25b, and also located at each side of said finger engageable element 27. An uncoiled portion 30 of a coil at an end of each said spring 29 overlaps against plate 28 and an unseen uncoiled portion at an opposite end of each said spring 29 overlaps unseenly but the same against a rear of said upright paper engageable stop means 24 for springily biasing said plate 28 with plate 21. And a pintle 26 is inserted through aligned openings of said aligned knuckle elements 25 and 28a and said springs 29 for overall forming a hinged attachment of them together and of said plate 28 on top of said plate 21 so that said paper clamping front end portion 31 of plate 28 is raiseably biased down for clamping down on top of, or adjacent to a portion of said paper supporting surface 20 reached by it in front of said plate 21.

Said finger engageable element 27 is easily fingered for raiseably lowering it for simultaneously lowerably raising said paper clamping front end portion 31 from said paper supporting surface 20 so that one to a plurality of sheets of paper can be removably placed beneath said paper clamping front end portion 31 and between them and into said assembled clamp to an extent limited when an edge thereof contacts said stop means 24a therein. Because of the action of said springs 29, when said finger engageable element 27 is released said paper clamping front end portion 31 clamps down on and holds a sheet or sheets in a fixed position on top of said paper supporting surface 20 for a said purpose.

1 claim:

1. In an article of manufacture, in combination,

a writing platform constructed so as to comprise a panel like shape having a selectable overall size of a type found in a commercial telephone booth, and being adapted so as to be secured with a means for pcriodically holding it in an immoveably fixed useable position a suitable distance above a floor, and the like, and a top surface having from One to a plurality of portions each selected to be used as an immoveable first part of a clamp, with,

a construction of a second part of said clamp for each being used said immoveable first part thereof, each comprising an arm member comprising at least a paper clamping end portion forming into a hereinafter used center portion thereof which forms into a finger engageable opposite end portion,

and a spring member comprising a flattened end portion forming into a suitably arcuately shaped center area portion which forms into a free opposite end portion located so as to be opposite to and above the free end of its said flattened end portion, and there being a slit like shaped opening suitably formed through a portion of said arcuately shaped center area portion located suitably adjacent to its said flattened end portion for suitably assemblably fitting a said finger engageable opposite end portion of said arm member therethrough until adjacent portions thereof are attachably disposed, and simultaneously attachably disposing and locating said free opposite end portion of said spring member on the top of a portion of the top surface of said arm member located inwardly of its said paper clamping end portion, means for attaching said attachably disposed portions together, for thereby attaching a said arm member with a said spring member, and more of said means for attaching a said flattened end portion of said spring member and thereby said assembled second part of said clamp with a second portion of said immoveable first part thereof for it, so that said center portion forming into said paper clamping end portion spans across a remaining portion thereof and biasingly positions said paper clamping end portion suitably adjacent to, and on top of when desired, a border portion thereof, and also so that a first paper engaging stop means is formed by a rear portion of said arcuately shaped center area portion, and a second paper engaging stop means is formed by an edge of said flattened end portion, said spring member and arm member being formed from suitable materials and being so attached together, and a said spring member to a said writing platform that downward movement of its said finger engageable opposite end portion will biasingly lowerably raise its said paper clamping end portion located opposite thereto, to facilitate its releaseably clamping of a portion of one to a plurality of suitably sized sheets of paper removably placed into a said assembled clamp to an extent limited by suitably using a said first and second paper engaging stop means, one at a time, and one after another in any sequence, and both of them simultaneously, and thereby retaining an unclasped portion of a said sheet of paper in a fixed position for writing thereon on top of and along at least an adjacently located unused portion of said top surface of a said writing platform.

2. In a article of manufacture, a clamp adapted to be secured to a suitable portion of a telephone booth shelf to removably retain a sheet of paper thereon in a desired fixed position, said clamp comprising a paper enga'geable arm member, and an arcuate spring member normally biasing an edge portion of the arm member against an associated sheet of paper, and means for attaching a flattened end portion of said spring member to the top surface of an associated shelf, the free end portion of the spring member being positioned so as to be opposite to and above the free end of the flattened end portion and being attached to the top surface of the anm member inwardly of the said edge portion, said arm member comprising a finger engageable portion extending through an opening formed in the spring member, said spring member and arm member being formed from suitable materials and being so attached to each other that downward movement of the said finger engageable portion will cause the said edge portion of the arm member to be raised upward to facilitate entry of the said sheet of paper thereunder, said flattened end portion of the spring member providing a first paper engaging stop means purposive to limit the extent to which the sheet of paper may be readily inserted into the clamp, and an inside portion of said arcuate spring member located above said flattened end portion providing a second paper engaging stop means.

3. In an article of manufacture, in combination, a writing platform constructed so as to comprise a panel like shape having a selectable overall size of a type found in a commercial telephone booth, and being adaptedso as to be secured with a means for periodically holding it in an immoveably fixed useable position a suitable distance above a floor, and the like, and also said construction thereof comprising a smooth top surface having from one to a plurality of portions each selected to be used as an immoveable first part of a clamp, with,

a construction of a second part of said clamp for being used with each said immoveable first part thereof, each comprising an arm member comprising at least a paper clamping end portion forming into a center portion thereof which forms into a finger engageable opposite end portion,

and a spring member comprising a flattened end portion forming into a suitably arcuately shaped center area portion which forms into a free opposite end portion located so as to be opposite to and above the free end of its said flattened end portion, and a slit like shaped opening suitably formed through a portion of said arcuately shaped center area portion located suitably adjacent to its said flattened end portion forsuitably assemblably fitting said finger engageable opposite end portion of said arm member therethrough until adjacent portions thereof are attachably disposed, and simultaneously attachably disposing and locating said free opposite end portion of said spring member on top of a portion of said top surface of said arm member located inwardly of its said paper clamping end portion,

means for attaching said attachably disposed portions together, for thereby assemblably attaching a said arm member with a said spring member, and more of said means for attaching a said flattened end portion of said spring member and thereby said assembled second part of said clamp with a selected portion of said immoveable first part thereof for it, so that said center area portion forming into said paper clamping end portion spans across a remaining portion thereof and biasingly positions said paper clamping end portion suitably adjacent to, and on top of when desired, a border portion thereof,

and also so that a first paper engaging stop means is formed by a rear inside portion of said arcuately shaped center area portion, and a second paper engaging stop means is formed by an edge of said flattened end portion,

said spring member and arm member being formed from suitable materials and being so attached together, and said spring member with a said writing platform that downward movement of its said finger engageable opposite end portion will biasingly lowerably raise its said paper clamping end portion located opposite thereto, to facilitate its releasably clamping of a portion of one to a plurality of suitably sized sheets of paper removably placed into a said assembled clamp to an extent limited by suitably using a said first and second paper engaging stop means, one at a time, and one after another in any sequence, and both of them simultaneously, and thereby retaining an unclamped portion of a said sheet of paper in a fixed position for writing thereon on top of and along at least an adjacently located unused portion of said smooth top surface of a said writing platform.

4. In an article of manufacture, a clamp adapted to be secured to an edge of a telephone booth shelf to removably retain a sheet of paper thereon in a desired fixed position, said clamp comprising a paper engageable arm member, an arcuate spring member normally biasing an edge portion of the arm member against an associated piece of paper, and means for securing a flattened end portion of the spring member to the top surface of an associated shelf, the free end portion of the spring member being positioned so as to be opposite and above the free end of the flattened end portion and being secured to the top surface of the arm member inwardly of the said edge portion, said arm member having a finger engageable portion extending through an opening formed in the spring member, said spring member and arm member being formed from suitable materials and being so secured to each other that downward movement of the said finger engageable portion will cause the said edge portion of the arm member to be raised upward to facilitate entry of the said piece of paper thereunder, said flattened free end portion of the spring member providing paper engaging stop means to limit the extent to which the paper may be readily inserted into the clamp.

5. In an article of manufacture, a clamp adapted to be secured to a suitable portion of a telephone booth shelf to removably retain a sheet of paper thereon in a desired fixed position, said clamp comprising a paper engageable arm member, and an arcuate spring member normally biasing an edge portion of the arm member against an associated sheet of paper, and means for attaching a flattened end portion of said spring member to the top surface of an associated shelf, the free end portion of the spring member being positioned so as to be opposite to and above the free end of the flattened end portion and being attached to the top surface of the arm member inwardly of the said edge portion, said arm member comprising a finger engageable portion extending through an opening formed in the spring member, said spring member and arm member being formed from suitable materials and being so attached to each other that downward move ment of the said finger engageable portion will cause the said edge portion of the arm member to be raised upward to facilitate entry of the said sheet of paper thereunder, said flattened end portion of the spring member providing a first paper engaging stop means purposive to limit the extent to which the sheet of paper may be readily inserted into the clamp, and an inside portion of said arcuate spring member located above said flattened end portion providing a second paper engaging stop means.

6. In an article of manufacture, a clamping part comprising an arm member being assembled with a spring member thereof, each being constructed from a suitable material so that it comprises a suitable panel like resilient rigid thickness, a metal being preferred while not being a restrictable selection,

said arm member comprising a front end portion comprising a paper clamping edge forming into two corners thereof, and which overall forms suitably rearwardly and narrowing symmetrically along each of its two sides, so that eventually there is a disposed narrower sized center area portion which overall forms suitably rearwardly and narrowing symetrical- 1y along each of its two sides, so that eventually there is a finger engageable rear end narrowest sized portion between each of its two sides, preferably comprising an arcuate shape along an extreme edge thereof, said spring member comprising at least a flattened end portion forming suitably upwardly into a suitably arcuately shaped center area portion which ends at a free opposite end portion purposively locating opposite to and above the free edge of its said flattened end portion, thereby providing said free edge of said flattened end portion and an inside portion of said suitably arcuately shaped center area portion located above said flattened end portion, respectively, as a first and a second paper engageable stop means being selectively useable, and there being a slit like shaped opening formed through a suitable portion of said suitably arcuately shaped center area portion located suitably adjacent to its said flattened end portion and comprising a size disposeably relative to said disposed narrower sized center area portion, and through which said finger engageable rear end narrowest sized portion of said arm member now being overall angularly positioned angularly penetrates for being useably free outside thereof, while simultaneously locating and assembleably fitting said narrower sized center area portion thereof therein, and attachably disposing adjacent portions thereof, and attachably disposing, and simultaneously locating said free opposite end portion of said spring member on top of a portion of top surface of said angularly positioned arm member located inwardly of its said paper clamping edge which locates substantially on a level line with said flattened end portion, first said means for forming a suitable attachment of said attachably disposed portions together, a purpose therefor being that, a second said means for forming an attachment can be selected and used throughout, in a first instance, for permanently attaching, and in a second instance, for removably attaching, said flattened end portion of said spring member with a selected portion smaller in size than a wholeness of a surface of a foreign object which now combinely becomes a second part of a clamp, so that simultaneously a remainder of said assembled clamping part suitably spans across said surface so that its said paper clamping edge biasingly clamps down on, and is positioned adjacent to whenever desired, a portion thereof, reached thereby suitably located in front of said edge of said flattened end portion, and as said free finger engageable rear end narrowest size portion is raiseably lowered by at least a moving finger, said rigid metal of said spring member is caused to resiliently move, so that said paper clamping front edge portion simultaneously lowerably raises from its said clamped down on, and adjacent to, position, relative to said portion of a surface of said foreign object, so that a portion of one to a plurality of sheets of paper can be removably placed and releaseably clamped between them to an extent limited by selectively used said first and second paper engaging stop means, while an unclamped portion thereof locates on a portion of said surface located adjacent to said clamped portion thereof for being used. 7. In an article of manufacture, in a telephone booth, a combination of a paper supporting surface comprising a pair of spaced apart from each other first knuckle elements on an edge thereof which lie substantially in the plane thereof, and a paper clamping plate comprising a second knuckle element on an edge thereof which lies substantially in the plane thereof, and a spring for liftingly biasing said paper clamping plate on top of said paper supporting surface when and after said second knuckle element thereof and said spring are hingedly interconnected by pintle means with and between said spaced apart from each other first knuckle elements thereby liftingly disposing said paper clamping plate thereon for clampingly engaging removably fixed papers thereon betwen them to facilitate using the telephone.

8. In an article of manufacture, as defined in claim 7, and adding thereto, said paper clamping plate also comprising a. finger engageable element for (biasingly :and) loweringly lifting it from a said clamping using thereof.

9. In an article of manufacture, a paper clamp comprising a paper supporting surface comprising a pair of spaced apart from each other first knuckle elements on an edge thereof which lie substantially in the plane thereof, and a paper clamping plate comprising a second knuckle element on an edge thereof which lies substantially in the plane thereof, and a spring for liftingly biasing said paper clamping plate on top of said paper supporting surface when and after said second knuckle element thereof and said spring are hingedly interconnected by pintle means with and between said spaced apart from each other first knuckle elements thereby liftingly disposing said paper clamping plate thereon for clampingly engaging removably fixed papers thereon between them.

10. In an article of manufacture, as defined in claim 9, and adding thereto, said paper clamping plate also comprising a finger engageable element for biasingly and loweringly lifting it from a said clamping using thereof.

11. In an article of manufacture, in a telephone booth, a combination of a paper supporting surface and an assembled clamp, said paper supporting surface being adapted so as to be secured with an adapted flat portion of a first plate of said clamp which angles into a rear upright wall portion thereof a front of which being a paper stop means, and a top edge portion of which comprising a portion adjacent to each of its spaced apart sides, and at a center area thereof which projects upwardly and rearwardly therefrom into a first knuckle element having an opening therethrough and which overall are spaced apart from each other and in aligned relationship to each other and which lie in a plane upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, and a generally C-shaped plate comprising a paper clamping front end portion, and a rear end portion which itself comprises a center area finger engageable element projecting rearwardly and upwardly therefrom and which substantially lies in a plane adjacent to another lower plane thereof comprising a portion at each of two opposite and spaced apart sides thereof which project into a second knuckle element having an opening therethrough and which overall are in aligned relationship to each other, and also alignably placed into empty spaces for them at each side of said side first knuckle elements of said top edge portion of said first plate, and a coiled spring having an opening therethrough aligned at each side of said center area said first knuckle element so that an uncoiled end portion of each said spring overlaps against said generally C-shaped plate and an opposite uncoiled end portion of each overlaps against said upright wall portion of said first plate, and a pintle means inserted through overall aligned openings thereof and attached therein for attaching and for springably and raiseably biasing said-generally C-shaped plate on top of said plate so that said generally C-shaped plate paper clamping front end portion raiseably clamps down on top of, and whenever desired, adjacent to a portion of said paper supporting surface reached by it, said finger engageable element projecting upwardly and rearwardly from said assembled clamp is easily fingered and raiseably lowered for simultaneously biasingly lowerably raising said paper clamping front end portion from said paper supporting surface so that a portion of one to a plurality of sheets of paper can be removably inserted beneath it and between them and into said assembled clamp to an extent limited when an edge thereof contacts said paper stop means therein for being releasably clamped on said paper supporting surface, when said paper clamping front end portion is raiseably lowered thereon, to facilitate using the telephone.

12. In an article of manufacture, a paper clamp comprising a paper supporting surface adapted to be secured with an adapted portion of a fiat part of a plate member thereof which also angles into an upright rear end portion thereof comprising a first knuckle element on an edge portion adjacent to each of its sides, and a clamping part comprising a generally C-shape and a finger engageable element for lifting it projecting from a center of a rear end portion thereof and a second knuckle element at least on an edge at each side of said rear end portion thereof, and a pair of coiled springs each comprising an opening therethrough and an uncoiled end portion overlapping against said paper supporting surface and an uncoiled opposite end portion overlapping against said upright rear end portion of said plate member for separably biasing them together, purposive so that a said first and second knuckle element align with one of said pair of coil springs at each side of said finger engageable element for being overall interconnected by a pintle means so that a front end portion of said clamping part will normally biasingly and abuttingly engage said paper supporting surface in front of said plate member for clampingly engaging papers in a fixed position between them.

13. In an article of manufacture, in a telephone booth, the combination of a paper supporting surface having a hinge knuckle on one edge thereof which lies substantially in the plane of the supporting surface, and a paper clamping plate having a hinge knuckle which lies substantially in the plane of the plate, said knuckles being hingedly interconnected by pintle means so that the said plate will normally abuttingly engage the supporting surface and due to the weight of the plate clampingly engage papers in position between the plate and the supporting surface to facilitate use of the telephone.

14. In an article of manufacture, as defined in claim 13, and adding thereto, said paper clamping plate also comprising a finger engageable element along a front portion thereof for lifting it.

15. In an article of manufacture, a paper clamp comprising a paper supporting surface having a hinge knuckle on one edge thereof which lies substantially in the plane of the supporting surface, and a paper clamping plate having a hinge knuckle which lies substantially in the plane of the plate, said knuckles being hingedly interconnected by pintle means so that the said plate will normally abuttingly engage the supporting surface and due to the weight of the plate clampingly engage papers in position between the plate and the supporting surface.

16. In an article of manufacture, as defined in claim 15, and adding thereto, said paper clamping plate also having a finger engageable element along a front portion thereof for lifting it.

17. In an article of manufacture, a clamp adapted to be secured to a suitable portion of a telephone booth shelf to removably retain a sheet of paper thereon in a desired fixed position, said clamp comprising a paper engageable arm member, and an arcuate spring member normally biasing an edge portion of the arm member against an associated sheet of paper, and when a flattened end portion of said spring member is secured to the top surface of an associated shelf, the free end portion of the spring member being positioned so as to be opposite to and above the free end of the flattened end portion and being attached to the top surface of the arm member inwardly of the said edge portion, said arm member comprising a finger engageable portion extending through an opening formed in the spring member, said spring member and arm member being formed from suitable materials and being so attached to each other that downward movement of the said finger engageable portion will cause the said edge portion of the arm member to be raised upward to facilitate entry of the said sheet of paper thereunder.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Salisbury 248-452 Knaggs 24-66 Gold 40-336 X Brehm 40-339 X Fox 40-336 X 12 2,457,898 1/1949 Hummel. 2,508,157 5/1950 Hanna 129-35 X 2,548,389 4/1951 Neikirk 24-66 FOREIGN PATENTS 542,377 5/1922 France. 104,120 2/ 1917 Great Britain.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner. 

